Alvin and the Chipmunks (2007)
- Many of the practical effects used in the climax were achieved without any CGI.
- Before Jason Lee was cast, several major A-list stars turned down the lead role because they felt the script was too risky.
- The incredible score for Alvin and the Chipmunks was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
Alvin and the Chipmunks is a 2007 American live-action/animated family comedy directed by Tim Hill. Jason Lee stars as Dave Seville, a struggling songwriter who discovers three talking chipmunks โ Alvin, Simon, and Theodore โ living in his home and discovers they can sing with unnaturally high-pitched voices. When the chipmunks become a musical sensation, the manipulative record executive Ian Hawke, played by David Cross, attempts to exploit them while Dave must balance his career opportunity with his growing paternal responsibility for the trio.
The chipmunks' signature high-pitched singing voice effect, originally created in 1958 by speeding up recordings, was recreated using pitch-shifting technology applied to the voice performances of Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, and Jesse McCartney. The film earned $361 million worldwide on a $60 million budget and launched a franchise of four films.
